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AL race for All-Star start in outfield tightens

Bautista, Miggy and Trout top 2 million votes in latest ballot update

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By Joey Nowak
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MLB.com |

Another week of American League All-Star Game voting has come and gone, and John Farrell's starting lineup is beginning to come into focus.

The top two vote-getters at each position held their ground, with the exception of third base, where Adrian Beltre (953,318) took over the No. 2 spot from Evan Longoria (904,638) but still trails front-runner Josh Donaldson (1,953,423).

Miguel Cabrera (2,030,773), who appears to have a lock on first base, joins Bautista and Trout as the only three AL players to eclipse the 2 million-vote mark. The National League's Troy Tulowitzki (2,593,387) and Yadier Molina (2,003,557) have also cleared that hurdle.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experian until Thursday, July 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

Fans may submit up to 25 online ballots, but they can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, register on the site in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Though the leaders remain the same, the races are still a long way from being decided. Derek Jeter (1,810,451), who will retire after this season, is in line to start his final All-Star Game, but Chicago's Alexei Ramirez (1,568,620) is on his heels. Jeter now has a career total of 45,315,271 All-Star votes to his name, which ranks second all-time behind Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey amassed a total of 50,045,065 votes during his 22-year career.

If Jeter were to be selected by the fans, it would also make him the seventh player in AL history to be voted in at least nine times.

Out for the season because of Tommy John surgery, Matt Wieters (1,488,884) has a grip on the start behind the plate ahead of Brian McCann (1,075,210), and Donaldson has more than 1 million votes more than Beltre. Cabrera leads the first-base group, with Jose Abreu (1,117,743) behind.

The 2014 All-Star teams will be unveiled on the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show during the weekend of July 5-6, with further details to follow on MLB.com. The AL will have nine elected starters via the fan balloting program, while the NL will have eight fan-elected starters. Pitchers and reserves for both squads -- totaling 25 for the NL and 24 for the AL -- will be determined through a combination of "Player Ballot" choices and selections made by All-Star managers Mike Matheny (NL) and Farrell (AL).

Immediately following the announcement of the rosters, you can select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Choose again at that point from among five players in each league. The Final Vote returns for its 13th season with more than 430 million votes cast to date, and you'll be able to make selections on MLB.com, club sites and your mobile device.

You'll be on a voting tear at that point, having already selected starters and the last men, and the ritual will not end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the big game, vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi. The fan voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.